Why Black Panther’s Ring May Become More Important In His Upcoming Movie

T'Challa didn't ask to inherit the Wakandan throne so early, but he had no choice after his father was killed in Captain America: Civil War. Upon becoming king, T'Challa inherited T'Chaka's ring, which in the movie was merely symbolic of his new position of royalty. However, many fans have speculated whether Black Panther's ring is more than just a symbol, and now one of Civil War's directors is implying that could be the case.

Anthony Russo recently took the time to answer some Captain America: Civil War questions on Quora, one of which wondered what Black Panther's ring's "speciality" is, specifically if it was magical. Here's what Russo said:

Black Panther's ring is special to him because it was worn by his father, the king. When he puts it on for the first time in Civil War, it's symbolic of him taking on his father's role. As for it's [sic] powers, we will all have to wait for the Black Panther movie.

As is typically the case with upcoming Marvel projects, Anthony Russo wasn't willing to divulge any specific details concerning Black Panther, but you'd think that if the ring was merely a symbol, he would have outright said that it didn't have any abilities, magical or otherwise. Obviously this shouldn't be taken as official confirmation, but it looks like there's a distinct possibility Black Panther may show that this ring is more than meets the eye.

For those who need a refresher, T'Chaka was one of the many casualties from Baron Zemo's attack on the United Nations. After grieving over his father's murder, T'Challa took the ring to officially represent his transition from prince to king of Wakanda. However, T'Challa spent the rest of the movie hunting after Winter Soldier, who he believed was his father's murderer at first. The ring didn't factor into the story afterwards, so Black Panther would obviously be the ideal time to show what it may be truly capable of. However, let's not forget that Wakanda is the main source of vibranium in the MCU, which is weaved into Black Panther's suit. Perhaps the ring is also made of vibranium, and this power being alluded to is just the natural properties of the metal. We'll have to wait and see.

While exact plot details for Black Panther are understandably being kept under wraps, the movie will explore T'Challa both continuing his superhero duties and learning more about what it means to be king. Along with Chadwick Boseman reprising the eponymous protagonist, the cast includes Luptia Nyong'o as Nakia, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Kilmonger and Danai Gurira as Okoye.

You can see T'Challa back in action when Black Panther hits theaters on February 16, 2018. In the meantime, if you have your own ideas about what his ring can do, feel free to theorize in the comments section.